Before I had even crossed College Avenue, I knew whatever awaited me inside Pots last Saturday would be nothing like its usual Happy Hours. I felt a familiar excitement as I heard a pulsating beat pounding from the venue, and as I stepped inside, I was astounded by the transformation it had undergone from college bar to festival grounds. Welcome to Dub Wub, Tallahassee’s premier bass music festival hosted by Wubaholics.
Surrounded by a sea of headbangers, I followed the pashminas to the first stage: the Grease Dungeon. Like the name implies, the intimate area was a place to get down and dirty to dubstep from local and upcoming talent like Dubyes and Paper Mushrooms. With the intense lights and rhythms, festival-goers had no choice but to let the music take over their bodies and dance.
A quick detour led to the Wook Sanctuary, which was complete with lounging couches and downtempo music. Here, attendees could unwind and recoup before heading back for more hard-hitting beats at the one and only Bass Garden. The Beer Garden was reimagined into The Bass Garden, transforming the area we know into a headbanger’s paradise, serving straight up bass in your face. All the headliners made their mark on Tallahassee at this stage, starting with D3V. It might have only been 7 p.m., but this man threw down like he was the closing set of the last EDC ever. He had no problem getting the crowd ready and rowdy, leaving my brain feeling like it had whiplash from bouncing around my head.
D3V was followed by sumthin sumthin b2b Player Dave, who both came ready to knock everyone off their feet with an unbelievably hype set. They brought their signature sounds that fans know and love to creatively intermix them, pushing each other’s musical boundaries for an incredible hour of nonstop party. Next on the lineup was Ubur, and simply put, he embodied the definition of “wubs”. It was impossible to stand still for even a second when he was hurling deep beats and killer rhythms at the crowd, who lapped it all up like ice cold water out of a Vibedration.
When Dubloadz took the stage, it was game over. No one was safe, as he was making sure that everyone was leaving his set in need of a doctor, medicine, and a neck brace. The crowd lost their minds, yelling in disbelief at every insane drop and giving “rail breakers” a whole new meaning. He knew exactly what he was doing, adding his self-proclaimed “savage wonk” twist to everything.
He was a hard set to follow, but Holly Woods b2b ATHRS stunned the festival-goers even further with their magic. Holly Woods, a Tallahassee icon, blessed us by playing her electric violin onstage for the first time and dropping some songs from her upcoming EP. ATHRS not only lived up to his electronic pop punk reputation, but solidified himself as a legend of his sound. This electrifying duo pulled the crowd in with their unmistakable energy to keep them going into the night. Afterwards, D3V went back in for the kill at 1 in the morning with a secret set with Too Kind in the Grease Dungeon, leaving behind the remnants of bodies whose souls he snatched with his music.
Dub Wub rounded out the complete festival vibes with merch and art for purchase, lining booths with keepsakes and tokens of memories made that night. With three stages unique in each of their personalities, there was something for everyone. You never would’ve guessed that this was the first year, with the way the night ran flawlessly and the only problem being the attendees not wanting the event to end. This is just the beginning, and big things lie ahead for the Tallahassee bass music scene, thanks to Wubaholics. With the wild success of Dub Wub, a new Wubaholics Anonymous meeting is already in the works. Stay updated with them on social media for their next can’t-miss event, and keep your eyes peeled for the recap video coming soon!
Photos by Max Rykov.
